"Why climate change doesn't spark moral outrage"

[Smidge204]

Just dropping by since I didn't see this linked yet (though several other Grist.org pages have been)

"Why climate change doesn't spark moral outrage and how it could"

http://grist.org/article/why-climate-change-doesnt-spark-moral-outrage-and-how-it-could/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Six reasons people might not listen to the arguments supporting anthro-climate-change, and six possible ways to reframe the issue to get around those blocks. Interesting read for those trying to make a case to the recto-cranially challenged.
=Smidge=

 

[kubel]

The author makes the assumption that everyone is convinced that humans are a significant forcing mechanism in climate change. I think that's the biggest reason why people can't recognize it as a 'great moral wrong'. But the authors other points seemed valid.

I'm in a group off to the side that makes the assumption that the party for humans is over (the age of cheap energy is coming to an end), and thus, humans will die off about as drastically as our population boomed. So I guess you can call me apathetic to climate change since I don't think it will be an issue.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

that is an easy one; the 1.5 Trillion Dollar Oil Industry

 

[AndyH]

The author makes the assumption that everyone is convinced that humans are a significant forcing mechanism in climate change. I think that's the biggest reason why people can't recognize it as a 'great moral wrong'. But the authors other points seemed valid.

I'm in a group off to the side that makes the assumption that the party for humans is over (the age of cheap energy is coming to an end), and thus, humans will die off about as drastically as our population boomed. So I guess you can call me apathetic to climate change since I don't think it will be an issue.

Do you expect any of your kids or family to survive the die-off?

 

[cwerdna]

The author makes the assumption that everyone is convinced that humans are a significant forcing mechanism in climate change. I think that's the biggest reason why people can't recognize it as a 'great moral wrong'. But the authors other points seemed valid.

I haven't read the article yet, but yeah... there are many doubters. And, unfortunately, even amongst those who believe it's possible, many aren't willing to do anything about it (e.g. drive a more efficient vehicle). I see WAY too many monstrosity class (full-sized) SUVs being driven solo or w/minimal cargo and passengers in my area.

Ignoring the environmental implications and "doubts" surrounding it, it seems those same people seem unconcerned or ignorant about the issues surrounding oil: % of oil we import, where most of the world's oil resides, oil geo-poltics, the almost $1 billion/week flowing out of our country to pay for foreign oil, etc.

Seems people won't do anything unless there's a crisis (e.g. oil crises in the 70s). I've posted http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/parenting/detail?entry_id=83789" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and the same quotes at http://priuschat.com/threads/remembering-the-1973-oil-crisis.90757/#post-1276469" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; in other car message boards where people aren't exactly FE-minded, and not surprisingly, the reaction isn't positive to them. In other non-car forums, some have seen those quotes and pics and are unswayed... They continue to buy battering ram of death class SUVs (when they don't seem to have a legitimate need for them). And, the hybrid and plug-in take rate continues to be low (http://www.hybridcars.com/news/june-2012-dashboard-47943.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false.

I wish we could spark moral outrage around the oil and monstrosity class SUV issues. That would directly help w/the GHG issue.

 

[jimbennett]

Bjorn Lomberg.

 

[adric22]

I know many climate change deniers. All of them are hard core evangelical republicans. And I think their perception is based on what they've heard coming from the mouths of people on TV who they respect. Much in the same way they'll believe anything that Fox News says about EVs.

But there is more to it. Many of them really don't care one way or another about the environment. Now, I do not consider myself a "tree hugger" by any means. But I know what is fact and I know there are issues we're going to have to deal with eventually. But some of these people are so convinced that Jesus will be coming back within the next year or two and will put everything right, they don't see any need to change their lifestyle to fix the environment, even if there is something wrong with it. So that's one problem.

The other problem, which I think affects the majority of people falls under many of the topics listed in the article. But to put it better in plain English. Since nearly everyone in the industrialized world is contributing to the problem. It would be one thing if everyone drove EVs or bicycles and there was one person driving a Hummer. That person would be the only one causing lots of pollution with their vehicle and hence all eyes would be on that one person. But when you can just blend into the crowd of everyone else, much like speeding on a busy highway, people feel insulated from guilt.

Another contributing factor is that they didn't choose to damage the environment on purpose. Everybody was driving gasoline cars long before they came around and its just the way things have always been done. Only recently did we realize there might be a problem. And since everyone else is still driving their gasoline cars, why should any one person make the change?

And it should be pointed out that one person often feels like their contribution is insignificant. And lets face it, it really is. If one person stops driving their car, stops using electricity from coal plants, and stops doing anything that contributes to the CO2 problem, it really will have zero measurable effect globally. So what motivation does one person have to make a change when virtually nobody else is making a change?

And it doesn't help that there are climate change deniers who try to pretend it is all some hoax or political effort by the liberals in order to unify people under the liberal agenda? Nope, that doesn't help the problem at all.